Whole Wheat English Muffin Loaf

English muffin breads —everything you expect in an English muffin except it's a easier to mix up the batter bread, and it's baked in a loaf pan  Those typical nooks and crannies are present and it toasts up perfectly. 
This recipe comes from a vintage recipe from Fleischmann's Yeast fold out that is titled "English Muffin Loaves". Recipes range from traditional to those with added flavorings, different flours additions, nuts, fruits and herbs. A few examples include Orange Flavored English Muffin Loaf, Rye & Mustard English Muffin Loaf and Sour Cream & Chive English Muffin Loaf.

Yesterday I made the Whole Wheat English Muffin Loaf (without the currants) and baked it in a stoneware loaf pan that Barry made using the slab method.

Whole Wheat English Muffin Loaf   Makes 2 loaves or cut recipe in half for just one; freezes well
4 cups unsifted white (all-purpose) flour
1 cups unsifted whole wheat flour
2 (1/4 oz.) pkgs. active dry yeast (each pkg. contains 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast)
1 tablespoon (granulated) sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup dried currants (optional)
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
Cornmeal

1. Combine 1 cup white flour, whole wheat flour, undissolved yeast, sugar, salt baking soda and currants if using. 
   
2. Heat milk and water until very warm, 120-130° F.
   
3. Add to dry ingredients and beat well.
4. Stir in remaining white flour to make a stiff batter. 

   

   Dough is a stiff batter.

5. Spoon into two 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 1/2" loaf pans that have been greased and sprinkle with cornmeal.
6. Sprinkles tops with cornmeal.

   

   Looks "shaggy" and messy at this point.
7. Cover; let rise in a warm place, free from drat, for 45 minutes.
8. Bake (in a preheated) 400° F. oven for 25 minutes (or until internal temperature is at least 190* F.).
9. Remove from pans and cool.

   

   Above - I used a dough scraper to loosen bread from sides of pan before
   turning it over onto a cooling rack. 

   
10. To serve, slice and toast.  
    
    
    
    
    
    

    

    BREAKFAST BONANZA — Added a poached egg to a slice of toasted English Muffin Bread, topped it with cheese sauce and crumbled bacon; served with roasted potatoes slices. 

Recipe without photos . . .

Whole Wheat English Muffin Loaf   Makes 2 loaves or cut recipe in half for just one; freezes well

4 cups unsifted white (all-purpose) flour
1 cups unsifted whole wheat flour
2 (1/4 oz.) pkgs. active dry yeast (each pkg. contains 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast)
1 tablespoon (granulated) sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup dried currants (optional)
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
Cornmeal

1. Combine 1 cup white flour, whole wheat flour, undissolved yeast, sugar, salt baking soda and currants if using. 
2. Heat milk and water until very warm, 120-130° F.
3. Add to dry ingredients and beat well.
4. Stir in remaining white flour to make a stiff batter. 
5. Spoon into two 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 1/2" loaf pans that have been greased and sprinkle with cornmeal.
6. Sprinkles tops with cornmeal.
7. Cover; let rise in a warm place, free from drat, for 45 minutes.
8. Bake (in a preheated) 400° F. oven for 25 minutes (or until internal temperature is at least 190* F.).
9. Remove from pans and cool.
10. To serve, slice and toast.  

In the Kitchen with Duncan Hines-- Taffy Tarts

These are really good! I'm making
them for my Literary League program
on Duncan Hines. And, of course I
had to taste one or two or . . . just
to make sure they were edible

     Even Duncan Hines contributed a few of his favorite recipes to his original 1939 edition of Adventures in Good Eating and The Art of Carving in the Home, including the one for Taffy Tarts. As I have been preparing a literary program on The Man Behind the Cake Mix, I’ve discovered an array of interesting tidbits about him. Here are just a few:

·      Favorite saying in reference to a really good restaurant, “it makes a man wish for hollow legs.”

·      He was extremely honest and often said, “One can easily earn another dollar, but if one loses his reputation, an opportunity may never again present itself to earn it back.” 

·      Motto – “Have what you want, but want what you have.”

·      His persona was acknowledged in Guys and Dolls in the song “If I Were a Bell.”

·      He even had a horse race named after him – the Omaha Duncan Hines’ purse.

     Duncan lists the yield as eight tarts (he used muffin cups); I used mini tart pan, 1 ¾” diameter; there was enough filling to fill 40 of the mini tarts. I added a dollop of whipped cream to each right before serving.

Taffy Tarts     Makes 8 tarts

Pie pastry—make your favorite recipe

¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 cup (packed) brown sugar

1 egg

½ cup currants

3 tablespoons evaporated milk

¼ teaspoon vanilla

1.     Fit pasty into greased muffin tins.

I used mini tart pans, 1 3/r" diameter; they are sitting on a rimmed cookie sheet. 

2.     Cream butter, add sugar and blend well. Beat egg slightly and stir in.

3.     Add milk, currants and vanilla. Pour into pastry lined tins and bake in 350° oven for 30 minutes. (I baked the small tarts for just 15 to 20 minutes.

Filled tarts are ready to go into the oven.

Here they are — cooling on a rack.

Recipe #580 in Adventures in Good Eating and The Art of Carving in the Home..

Other Duncan Hines recipes included on our blog:
* Betty Cass' Brown Sugar Cookies    * Chocolate Upside Down Cake      * Date & Nut Cakes     * Fudge Squares    *Hot Toasted Cheese Hors d’Oeuvres (or Sandwiches)    *Nut Macaroons